So, how do you actually make the most of Google Slides and get your presentation looking top notch?

Well today we’ve reached out to our friends over at 24Slides for some Google Slides tips. As leading experts in custom presentation design, they know a thing (or ten) about how to make any slideshow more impactful, and your audience hooked.

So, here are ten quick Google Slides tips from 24Slides that will help make presentation wow your audience.

More of a Microsoft fan? Check out our pro-PowerPoint tips, or get some general presentation pointers here.

1) Insert images directly from Google Images

Google Image Search has billions of images indexed. When you use Google Slides, you don’t need to download images and then upload them again to your slide. Nope, you don’t even need to leave your browser tab to look for suitable images for your presentation.

All you have to do is click on Insert > Image. Then select ‘Search the web’ from the dropdown list. The side panel ‘Search for Google Images’ will appear on the right side of your screen (see screenshot below):

Simply type in the keyword(s) for your image and the results will appear below the search box. The last step would be for you to click on the photo(s) you want to use in your slide. And that’s it! The entire process will only take you anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes!

2) Themes for Google Slides

You can do this by clicking on any slide thumbnail on the left side panel. You’ll then see these options in the menu bar:

Click on Theme to access the Themes side panel. You will see something like this on your screen:

Note that there’s no preview button. You simply need to click on the Theme you like and the changes will be applied in real time. Also, if you want to import a theme from an existing presentation, you can click on the yellow Import Theme button. Play around with the different theme options until you find one that works best for your presentation!

3) Mask your images into different fun shapes

Your photos need not be in the usual rectangular or square shape all the time. With Google Slides, you can change your image into various shapes, arrows, callouts, or equations. Here’s how:

• Click on the image you want to mask to access the hidden photo masking options. For this example, I used this image I found on Google Images.

• Click on Mask image (it’s the small triangular button beside the Crop icon)

• Select the shape, arrow, callout or equation you want to reshape your image to. As you can see below, there are a lot of different shapes you can choose from:

• For this example, I chose the lightning shape. By clicking on the lightning shape, I effectively transformed my boring, rectangular photo into this fun and exciting shape!

Feel free to experiment and explore the many different options. Remember, you can always undo your changes on Google Slides.

4) Insert different types of Google Slides diagrams

To insert a diagram on your slides, click on Insert > Diagram. The Diagrams side panel will appear on the right side of your screen. As you can see below, you can choose from 6 different types of diagrams: Grid, Hierarchy, Timeline, Process, Relationship and Cycle diagrams.

For this example, I clicked on the box for Timeline diagram. In the screenshot below, you’ll notice that I was able to customize my Timeline diagram. I changed the number of timeline dates from 4 to 6; I was also able to change the timeline’s color to green.

Play around with the different options until you find the perfect diagram(s) for your presentation.

5) Got links?

With Google Slides, you’re not limited to adding just links to websites, you can also link to images, your files on Google Drive, and even to other slides in your presentation!

Here’s what you need to do:

• Click on the text you want to add the hyperlink to. Then either hit CTRL+K or right-click on your mouse and look for the Link option.

• To add a web link, type in or paste the web address. Then hit the Apply button.

• To link to slides in the same presentation, select from available slides like you see below:

• For even more link options, click on Find More and the Explore side panel will appear on your screen. You can then type your query in the Title box and Google will then search for relevant websites, images, and even your files saved on Google Drive.

6) Make global changes by editing the slide master

If you’re only working with a few slides, then you may not have much need for a slide master. However, once you get to double figures (say from 10 slides onwards), then you’ll see just how much of a timesaver a slide master is. You don’t need to edit each individual slide, instead you can just go directly to the slide master and all slides in your presentation will automatically be updated.

To edit your slide master, simply go to Slide > Edit Master. This is how it looks like:

Click on the elements you want to change. For example, if you want all titles and subtitles to use Monserrat font, then you can change that here. There’s a lot of things you can do with the master slide. You can add your company logo in the footer section or the header, and it will automatically appear on all your slides.

The main thing to remember is if you want something to appear on all your slides, the best way to go about this is by editing the slide master itself.

7) How to embed YouTube videos in Google Slides

One of the best ways to make your presentation come alive is by adding videos to it. To do so, click on Insert > Video and you’ll see this on your screen:

As you can see, you can search YouTube videos directly from your slides (no need to open up another tab and type YouTube). You can also add a direct link (URL) to a video online, or you can search for videos stored in your Google Drive account.

To edit and format your video, click on the video itself so the Format options button will appear on the menu bar. Click on this button and the Format options side panel will appear on your screen.

Feel free to adjust the video playback options, size and position, and drop shadow settings.

8) How to do transitions on Google Slides

Google Slides transitions are easy to set. To add them, you’ll need to click on the slide thumbnails so you can see the hidden Transition button on the menu.

As you can see in the screenshot above, there aren’t a ton of options on Google Slides (unlike PowerPoint). It’s not necessarily a bad thing though. Most experts recommend keeping transitions to a minimum because it can distract the audience and can even cause motion sickness in some cases.

So, take your pick from the 7 transition options and focus on making your message heard loud and clear. For best results, I recommend you use the same transition effect throughout your presentation.

9) Accept questions from your audience

An interactive presentation is bound to get more attention than, say, a one-sided one. Since Google Slides is cloud-based, it’s easier to get your audience to interact and ask you questions in real time. Here’s how:

• Click on Present > Presenter View (Present with audience Q&A and view speaker notes).

• You’ll then see this pop-up on your screen. Click on Audience Tools then hit the Start new button at the bottom.

• Google Slides will now generate a link to your online presentation. Simply copy the link and send it to your audience.

• When people start sending you questions, they’ll appear in the box. You can then answer the questions one by one.

The really cool thing about this feature is you can use it whether you’re in the same room as your audience or they’re halfway across the globe!

10) Collaborate with teammates in real time

Google products stand out with their top-notch online collaboration features. Google Slides is no different. If you’re working with a team of designers and content makers, then the yellow Share button is your friend.

Once you click on Share, you’ll see this pop up on your screen:

You can either get a shareable link and send it to people via email or chat. Or you can type in people’s name and/or email addresses, then hit the blue Done button to send out your invite. Now, you’ll have an extra pair of eyes to look over your presentation and make sure it’s the best it can possibly be!

Bonus tip: use vector drawings

If you’re looking to wow with your presentation, you are probably using a lot of visuals. This means adding in a lot of JPEGs, videos perhaps even the occasional PDF. These files can be heavy, and quickly stack up, which runs the risk of your Google Slides presentation lagging and testing the patience of your audience.

But, there’s another way. If you have a designer at hand, open up Adobe Illustrator and give vector graphics a try. Creating something unique, custom and exporting as a PNG is likely to keep your slides looking stylish and functioning effectively.

Huge thanks to Guillaume Proux, co-founder of Oomnis Limited for the bonus pro tip!

Loving Google Slides Already?

Did we miss any pro-Google Slides tips? Let us know your favorite!

It’s really no wonder why Google Slides is touted as the best PowerPoint alternative by many experts in the presentation industry. It’s user-friendly, it’s highly customizable, it’s cloud-based, and it’s free.

On the other hand, if you’re pressed for time or simply want to focus on more important things, you can leave the design work to 24Slides. It costs as little as $7 per slide for a custom design and we can turnaround presentations in 24 hours.

Even better, we’re offering Airtame customers and readers a 20% discount off their first order. Simply visit 24slides.com and use the coupon code AIRTAME at checkout.

If you would like to know how to present from your mobile or computer devices to your TV screen or projector wirelessly, watch this short video:

The post 10 quick tips to spice up your Google Slides presentations appeared first on Airtame.

If you want to learn how to go the extra mile, then read on. We’ve got ten essential PowerPoint tips for formatting presentations, from our friends and custom presentation design experts 24Slides!

Not a Microsoft or PowerPoint user? Check out our general presentation tips to help sharpen your skills

1: Calibri is not the only font in PowerPoint

Using far too much text in presentation slides is never a good idea. You want people to focus on you and what you’re saying. You don’t want them squinting at the screen trying to read entire sentences and paragraphs on your slides!

With that said, you should also pay attention to the font that you’re using. Now, there’s nothing wrong with the default font on PowerPoint, Calibri. It’s easy on the eyes, and it definitely looks way better than Comic Sans.

However, with it being the default font in PowerPoint, it means that countless other presentations are made using this font. If you want your text to stand out, then you better start checking out other options.

Google Fonts is an excellent choice with 900 free font families to choose from. While it’s a great site to begin your search for the best presentation fonts, the sheer number of font choices can be overwhelming. We recommend heading over to FontPair to get ideas on the best Google Font combinations you can use in your presentations.

2: Use a consistent color scheme

If you don’t want your presentation to look like a kaleidoscope of colors, then try to stick to a color theme. Depending on the look you’re trying to achieve, two or three colors may suffice. Use one color for the background, another one for text, and a third color for accents. These are the usual color schemes you’ll find on many successful presentations:

• Light background with dark text and graphics
• Dark background with light text and graphics

Avoid using neon-colored text in your slides though. Sure, it will stand out, but then again, a more discerning, professional audience may not feel comfortable looking at garish-looking slides!

3: When using icons, stick to one style

Icons add visual flair to your presentation slides. Instead of using plain, ol’ boring text, use icons that convey the same meaning. Icons not only make your slides look cleaner, but they also free up a lot of space that would normally be occupied by text. The good news is there are a ton of places where you can download both free and premium icons.

If you have an Office 365 subscription or Office 2019, you can download icons directly on PowerPoint. If you find the PowerPoint icons lacking, you can check out places like 24Templates, The Noun Project, Flaticon, Envato Elements, and more.

Wherever you get your icons from, just remember that consistency is key to good design. You don’t want to mix and match different icon styles.

If you’re using outline styles (no fill color), then use that style for all your icons. If you want to use single-color filled or even colorful icons, that’s entirely up to you. Just make sure you use the same icon style throughout your entire presentation.

4: Align your slide objects

One of the simplest ways you can make your slides look professional is by arranging and aligning various objects. You can align a single object as well as multiple ones.

You can align objects to the left, center and right side of the slide. Or you can choose to align them to the top, middle and bottom of the slide. You can also choose to distribute your objects horizontally or vertically.

You can also use the built-in ruler, gridlines and guides to help you out. Simply click on the View tab, and tick the boxes for Ruler, Gridlines and Guides, like you see below:

5: Use the slide master and format your slide layouts

Formatting individual slides is okay if you’ve only got one or two slides to worry about. But what about if you’ve got 20 or 50 or 100 slides?

This is where the power of the slide master comes in. In Microsoft’s own words, “The slide master is the blueprint of your presentation. It controls everything but the content of your doc.”

What this means for you is you can make global changes to your entire presentation’s format just by making some changes to the slide master. For example, if you want to use the Open Sans font for all your headers and the Raleway font for your body texts, then you don’t need to update each slide individually. You can simply edit your slide master!

6: Pay attention to your background

Making different objects on your slides come alive is possible with a good background. This is because the right background can provide texture and contrast to the objects you want to emphasize; it will literally draw people’s eyes to it.

In PowerPoint, you have several options for your background. You can use a solid color fill, a gradient fill, a picture or texture fill, or a pattern fill, like you see in the screenshot below:

Whichever background option you choose, just remember that the background’s job is not to get noticed. Instead, it should direct the audience’s attention to the objects in the foreground.

Don’t underestimate the power of a good background. Knowing how to create the best PowerPoint background is essential for your presentation’s success.

7: Use Format Painter to save precious time

The Format Painter button in PowerPoint looks so small. If you’re not familiar with it, you can easily disregard or even dismiss it. But don’t be so quick to judge the small icon in the Home tab. This tiny button allows you to copy and paste formats from one object to another in just 3 clicks!

Imagine having several shapes on a slide. You’ve already formatted one object, you’ve formatted its shape fill, outline, effects, etc. Now you want to apply the same format to other shapes. Doing this manually will take you some time. But with the Format Painter tool, you can ‘paint over’ your first object’s format onto other objects!

What’s really great about Format Painter is that the objects don’t even have to be on the same slide. You can copy an object’s format in slide #1 and then paste it to other objects in, say, slides 9 and 10.

8: Use the Animation Painter to copy and paste animations

Animations make your presentation ‘literally’ come alive. However, if you don’t want your presentation to look like an overly enthusiastic amateur made it, then it’s best to keep your object animations to a minimum.

Animation Painter works just like Format Painter (see previous tip), but instead of copying and pasting formats, it does animations.

Basically, it works the same way as Format Painter. You simply copy an object’s animation, click on the Animation Painter in the Animations tab, then click on the object(s) you want to paste the animation to.

If the Animation Painter button is grayed out on your screen, that is, it’s not clickable, then you should check if you’ve actually applied an animation to your first object. Oh, and if you only have one object, meaning, you don’t have a second object to paste the animation to, the Animation Painter button isn’t going to be clickable, too.

9: Familiarize yourself with PowerPoint’s built-in formatting tools

PowerPoint has a lot of cool tricks up its sleeves. The default menu options look simple enough, but clicking on various objects on your slide will bring up hidden menus and formatting options.

For example, if you want to format a shape, you’d need to click on that shape so that the Drawing Tools tab will appear on your PowerPoint ribbon.

If you need to format an image, you’d need to click on that image so that the Format Picture menu will appear. If you’d like to format your SmartArt, you’d need to click on that graphic so the SmartArt Tools will appear. Likewise, clicking on a table will bring up the Table Tools menu, and so on.

What this tip basically boils down to is that if you need to format something on PowerPoint, you just need to click on that object or element. You’ll then gain access to the hidden tools you need to format or design it.

10: Use PowerPoint templates for quick formatting

If there’s one thing in life we can’t ever take back, it’s time. Don’t waste hours creating presentation slides from scratch! Slides are meant to be used as a visual accompaniment for presentations; they’re not the “main attraction”. You and your message are! Therefore, you want to spend as much time as possible perfecting your presentation, and not designing and formatting your slides.

This is where PowerPoint templates come in. They’re already formatted. You simply need to swap out the placeholders with your content, and you’re good to go! Now, not all templates are created equal. If you’re looking for free, professionally-designed and high-quality templates, check out Templates by 24Slides.

Ready to bring Power to your Points?

It’s important to put yourself in your audience’s shoes when formatting your slides. Ask yourself if your slides actually add value to your presentation. If yes, then that’s awesome. But if not, these tips should help you take a step in the right direction.

If you would like to know how to present from your mobile or computer devices to your TV screen or projector wirelessly, watch this short video:

The post 10 simple PowerPoint tips to help you become a presentation pro appeared first on Airtame.

Let’s face it: It’s a daunting task. You have to be a great orator, prepare clear and convincing visual aids, all while keeping your audience engaged. Everything is stacked against you. A passable presentation is common-place, a truly great one is a rarity.

That’s why today we’ve reached out to our friends over at 24Slides for some much-needed presentation tips. As leading experts in custom presentation design, they know a thing (or ten) about how to make any slideshow more impactful, and your audience hooked.

If you want more info on how to make designs that stand out, check out our longform piece on the ins and outs of digital signage.

How to create better presentations

Luckily, whether you’re a presentation newbie or simply haven’t made a presentation in a long time, there are some basic rules you can follow to make sure your presentation slides come out as winners.

These are rules you can apply to any kind of presentation, regardless of the software you use. So whether your weapon of choice is PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote, read on for our 10 essential tips for formatting better presentations.  

1. How many slides should there be in a presentation?

By asking how many slides should there be in a presentation, you’re actually asking: How long should my presentation be? The answer to that is usually up to 20 minutes. I know it seems like no time at all, but research shows people just can’t pay attention longer than that.

And according to Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule, 20 minutes translate roughly into 10 slides.

But how do you actually fit your presentation into 20 minutes? And how do we know it translates into 10 slides? Well, because there are certain rules for the amount of text you should have on each slide.

2. How much text should be on a slide?

According to the 1-6-6 Rule, your slide shouldn’t have more than 1 guiding idea, 6 bullet points, and six words per one bullet point. But that, of course, might not apply to all types of presentations, and would amount to 10 very text heavy slides.

So the general rule of thumb is to be sensible and don’t overburden your slides with text. Remember they’re only there as a visual aid.

3. Use visual storytelling

Now that you know how much information you need to cram into 10 slides, it’s time to start using that space wisely. And how do we do that? By implementing appropriate methods of visualizing all the data.

You do this by using charts, tables, organizational templates, and images in order to tell a story and showcase the data. Not only does this save up space, but it also resonates more with your audience, since we’re hardwired to absorb information visually.

4. Visualize your data

Presentation software these days offer a wide variety of easy-to-access visual aids perfect for beginners. For example, in PowerPoint you can simply click on Insert on the ribbon and you’ll find several options to display data right there.

Pie charts are great if you’re talking percentages. Just make sure not to have too many slices, as this can also feel like information overload. The wise thing to do is have up to 6 slices per pie chart. Vertical bar charts are great for showing quantity over time and should be limited to 8, while horizontal bar charts make for great quantitative comparison.

5. Choose a large font

One of the presentation formatting tips that is crucial to avoid embarrassment is to use no more than 2 complementary fonts through the entire presentation. Learn what San-Serif fonts are and opt for them.

But the most important advice on presentation formatting you take from this when it comes to fonts: Make your text HUGE. Don’t be afraid to do this. You’re not supposed to put too much text on a slide anyway, so it will all fit right in.

Remember that you’re presenting to an audience in a room, and there will be some people sitting way back.

6. Basic slide design rules

One of the most important tips for formatting better presentations is to stay away from basic software themes. Avoid them like the plague. Instead, opt for one of the many free presentation templates and themes available around the web. For example, we have a huge library of free PowerPoint templates you can access right here.

Also: Raw data is not the only thing needing visual aids. Believe it or not, emotional information is capable of taking up this form as well. So use images, and don’t be afraid to spread them across your entire slide. This gives the audience the time to rest, take the info in, and resonate with what you are saying.

Just make sure that the image proves your point and directs the emotions of the audience where you want them.

7. Use tasteful animations

One of the most essential tips for better presentation formatting is definitely to go easy on the animations. Using too many quirky effects on your text and slides will absolutely make you look like a beginner.

We know animations are fun, but if you’re not presenting to your high school class your audience isn’t going to appreciate it. Stick with the basics like Wipe ‘Left-to-Right’ for bullet points and don’t have more than three different slide transition animations. Less is more.

8. Emote with color

You can’t really talk about basic presentation formatting tips without mentioning the importance of color. You don’t have to be an artist in order to understand how certain colors evoke certain feelings, and how you can absolutely use this to your advantage. For your text, use warm colors, as those bring more attention. For your background, you’ll want to contrast that with cooler shades.

9. Begin with emotion

While the 1-6-6 rule applies to most slides, make sure to apply the one-sentence rule to your beginning slide. Someone with six bullet points on their beginning slide will surely come off as an amateur.

A title slide should only contain the title of your presentation, and should otherwise consist of visual input. Including an image that takes up the majority of the slide space is a really common way of starting presentations, so you can’t go wrong with that. Just make sure to choose an image related to your subject that summarizes it perfectly.

Read more: 10 tips on How to start a presentation with impact

10. End with detail

One of the greatest tips for formatting a superior presentation is to ditch the Thank You slide. It was popular back in the day, but rules change. Instead, say thank you directly to your audience, and ask them if they have any questions.

Your last slide shouldn’t shy away from bullet-points. Summarize all your points in up to 6 lines so that the audience has the chance go over it during the discussion. Putting up a giant thank-you or simply an image won’t help that. And while a thank you slide won’t exactly make you look like an amateur (they’re pretty common), not using a thank you slide has a great chance of making you look like a pro.

Start presenting better

Now you know some essential tips for formatting better presentation. Before you stand in front of the audience, make sure to avoid the novice mistakes like too much text and animations. Use appropriate fonts and invest in the visual representation of data. And remember: Emotional input can be visual and is important. If you follow these tips, you can be sure you’ll come off as a presentation formatting whiz.

On the other hand, if you’re pressed for time or simply want to focus on more important things, you can leave the design work to us.

Even better, we’re offering Airtame customers and readers a 20% discount off their first order. Simply visit us at 24slides.com and use the coupon code AIRTAME.

If you would like to know how to present from your mobile or computer devices to your TV screen or projector wirelessly, watch this short video:

The post Make your mark: 10 essential presentation tips appeared first on Airtame.

We’ve come to realize that there’s no one-size fit when it comes to wireless streaming. This is why we have designed three modes for the best possible performance according to your specific use case. Each mode has it’s own unique algorithms to optimize for the perfect performances in its context and real-time environment. This is only regarding mirroring from computers to AIRTAME and not from mobile devices. If you have already updated to the latest software version you can go to AIRTAME>preferences>modes and already try it out for yourself!

This is for when you are looking for responsive actions with as little latency as possible. We’ve muted the sound, and this mode will allow you to use the larger monitor in as near real-time as possible. We recommend using this mode when you need to walk someone through a particular process, or if you need to take notes / collaborate together in real time.

Video Mode

This is for when you want to showcase something, or simply stream some media to the larger screen. It gives you a high level of fluency and quality. We’ve have purposely added a level of latency (delay) as 1) You’re not actively using your laptop and 2) Helps to build a fluid stream to create the highest stream possible.

Presentation Mode

When presenting your screen either using a keynote or powerpoint, this mode focuses on high quality while fluency is reduced to save battery whilst layering a slight delay to ensure high-quality streaming throughout. It’s a mix of the two previous modes, however, it’s perfectly tuned if you want to use the mobile applications as your presentation remote.

Mode4_manual-2 Manual Mode We wouldn’t be us, if we didn’t give you the option of ignoring all the streaming modes and to let you create your own balance. You’re able to toggle quality settings/audio and define exactly what frame rate (FPS) and level of buffering you want to have. How do I use it? Either go to preferences and adjust the different modes or use the quick selection directly from the drop-down menu. screenshots

How do I get it? You just need to have the latest update on both your computer and on your AIRTAME. The modes are only available from V.1.0 onwards. Update computer: Simply update the AIRTAME app on your computer or download the latest from here: https://airtame.com/download Update AIRTAME: Make sure your AIRTAME is connected to the internet and it will update automatically.

The post Introducing: Streaming Modes appeared first on Airtame.